Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 29. 2015
Long time employees to lead public works for time being
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Commission Chairman Rob
Jones said Thursday they have
no immediate plans to hire a per
manent replacement for the pub
lic works director position left
vacant by the resignation of Greg
Collis in December.
Jones said two current em
ployees, Kim Quinton and Ricky
Jackson, will lead the department
on a temporary basis. Both Quin
ton and Jackson have more than
10 years experience in that de
partment. Jones expressed confi
dence that with their experience,
Quinton and Jackson will be able
to handle any challenges, includ
ing anything posed by winter
weather.
“We are going to have them
maintaining the status quo,”
Jones said.
He said in earlier discussions,
fellow commissioners Becky
Denney and Jerry Barnes indi
cated they wanted to take some
time and look at the situation be
fore hiring a permanent replace
ment.
Jones said they received a few
applications when word got out
that Collis was no longer there.
He said he always prefers to hire
from within but he is also open
to fresh ideas.
Public works was one of three
county departments to see sud
den personnel changes during the
2014 holidays. New directors for
the animal shelter (Phillip Tip-
pens) and planning and develop
ments (Alberto Torres) have
already been named.
Restaurant Report
Submitted by Jan Stephens
Inspected: 1/20/15
Boj angles
1811 Hwy. 53 W, Jasper
Current Score: 90-A
Previous Score: 95-A
Violations:
1. Macaroni and cheese at
121°F on steam table. Must be
135° or above. The food was
discarded.
2. Single service articles in
a box that had wet flour on top
from an unknown source. The
single service articles were dis
carded. Always ensure single
service articles are stored
where no splash contamination
can occur.
Pueblo Cantina Bar & Grill
25 Luke Carver Dr., Jasper
Current Score: 74-C
Previous Score: 91-A
Violations:
1. Observed cheese stored
directly on top and in the same
container with raw ground
beef. Never store ready-to-eat
food below, and absolutely
never in the same container
with raw potentially hazardous
food. The cheese was dis
carded.
2. All of the food in the
steam table and open top
cooler not covered during a
slow time without customers.
The lids can be removed when
busy, but must be replaced
when not in use; lids were
placed on the food.
3. Observed raw PHF at 48-
52°F in the open cold-hold unit
that must be supplemented
with ice. Very little ice was in
the unit. PHF above 50°F was
discarded and ice was added to
completely surround the con
tainers to the level of the food.
During the last 2 inspections it
was noted that ice was not
used properly. This unit must
be replaced (within 30 days)
with a cold-hold unit that does
not require ice to maintain
PHF at 41°F or below. Until
then, the person in charge must
monitor unit to ensure employ
ees are using the ice properly -
repeat violation.
4. Observed no hot water in
the facility. Person in charge
stated that the unit sometimes
does not relight when needed
due to a sensor. The water
heater was manually lit and hot
water was restored at time of
inspection. PIC must monitor
the water heater until the sen
sor is repaired, to ensure con
tinuous hot water, which is re
quired for proper dish and
hand-washing; plumber was
called.
Inspected: 1/21/15
Pickens County Middle
School
1802 Refuge Rd., Jasper
Current Score: 97-A
Previous Score: 100-A
Violation:
Observed milk dated
1/19/15, which was 2 days past
date; must segregate expired
milk for supplier pick-up. The
milk was discarded. The per
son in charge must monitor
dates and discard when
needed.
Duffers
186 Clubhouse Dr., Jasper
Current Score: 95-A
Previous Score: 98-A
Violations:
1. Observed dried food de
bris on the food sheer, espe
cially in the nooks and
crannies. The sheer must be
broken down and completely
cleaned and sanitized either
after each use or at a maximum
of 4 hours. The sheer was bro
ken down to be cleaned during
the inspection.
2. The hand-wash sink was
dirty. A hand-wash sink must
be maintained clean; clean the
sink.
Inspected: 1/22/15
Bub-ba-Q
1976 Hwy. 53 W, Jasper
Current Score: 90-A
Previous Score: 91-A
Violations:
1. Observed pork butt that
was just pulled on the steam
table at 101°F, and a partial
pork butt that was just placed
into the holding cabinet at
104°F. Whole pork butts not
removed from the cabinet were
at 135°F. The cabinet holding
at 135°F cannot rapidly reheat
the pork. Since the temperature
had just dropped from 135°F
during the prep process (20
minutes), both the pulled pork
and the partial butt were re
heated to 138°F to hold.
2. Observed missing mold
ing in the kitchen where the
floor meets the wall; replace
molding.
Jasper Elementary School
158 Stegall Dr., Jasper
Current Score: 100-A
Previous Score: 99-A
Health
officials
still urge
you to get
your flu
shot
Have you had your flu shot
yet? Flu activity is high in Geor
gia and the peak of the flu season
is still ahead. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) continues to recommend
that unvaccinated people get vac
cinated*. While some of the
viruses spreading this season are
different from those in the vac
cine, vaccination can still pro
vide protection and might reduce
severe outcomes such as hospi
talization and death.
North Georgia Health District
public health departments in
Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Mur
ray, Pickens and Whitfield coun
ties have flu vaccine and no
appointment is necessary. Please
contact your local health depart
ment for more information.
The CDC also is reminding
the public that people with high
risk factors who get flu symp
toms should contact their health
care provider to be evaluated for
possible treatment with flu an
tiviral drugs. It’s very important
that antiviral drugs be used early
to treat hospitalized patients,
people with severe flu illness,
and people who are at higher risk
of developing flu complications
based on their age or underlying
medical conditions.
Local FFA livestock show this Saturday
LET ME HELP MAKE
FDIC
.IMS student Seth Everidge was the proud exhibitor of the Grand
Champion Market Hog for the 2014 Livestock Show.
Submitted by Pickens FFA
Alumni
Mark your calendars for the
annual Pickens County FFA
Alumni Livestock Show. The
event is scheduled to take place
on Saturday, January 31, at 10
a.m. The location for the show
will be the Agricenter at Pickens
High School.
This year’s show will include
classes of breeding ewes, beef
heifers and market swine. The
exhibitors will also participate in
showmanship classes. The show,
which is open to 4-H and FFA
members who reside in Pickens
DONNA M. TORRES. MORTGAGE BANKER. NMLS #1204791
dtorresarenasant.com www.donnatorres-renasant.com
mobile: 678-895-7599 I office: 678-454-2559
IRE NAS ANT
MORTGAGE LENDING
JASPER 251 HWY 515 MARBLE HILL 90 STEVE TATE HWY
renasantbank.com
FREE HEALTH
INSURANCE?
Easy Free Enrollment by Phone.
Obamacare
Household
Size
FREE!
$20
Premium
Call for
Individualized
Pricing!
One Person
Monthly Income
$950-$1300
$1300-$1600
$1600 & Up
Two Persons
Monthly Income
$1250-$1800
$1800-$2100
$2100 & Up
Three Persons
Monthly Income
$1600-$2200
$2200 - $2600
$2600 & Up
Four Persons
Monthly Income
$2000 - $2600
$2600 ■ $3000
$3000 & Up
Top plans from: Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Georgia, Humana, Coventry, Aetna,
United Healthcare and more.
WM, [MU
BOTTOM LINE INSURANCE
CONSULTANTS
Affordable Care Act * Certified Licensed Agency ~ Serving Georgia since 1998
WARNING
If you are a senior citizen in Pickens County angered by paying your fair share of
educational taxes, please consider other options that would be less destructive to our
school system. The working citizens of Pickens County have heard your messages loud
and clear. You may not see the value in providing a good education for our children (your
grandchildren), but we do. One option is to take your tax return to the Tax Assessor’s office.
If you fall below the poverty level, you will most likely qualify for the educational tax exemp
tion you are seeking. If you do not fall below the poverty threshold, you should pay your
fair share just like the rest of us. Another option would be to move to one of the counties
you constantly praise for being such better retirement destinations. Unfortunately Pickens
County does not have the population or business / industrial tax revenue some of our neigh
boring counties have. We do have a very good school system however, and we would re
ally like to keep it that way. Investing in our children is the best investment we will ever
make.
Pickens Citizens for Education
PickensCountyCitizens@yahoo.com
Johnson Collins was the Champion Beef exhibitor and exhibited
the Reserve Champion Heifer for the 2014 Pickens County Live
stock Show.
County, provides the opportunity
for these students to prepare for
the upcoming State Livestock
Shows. The judge for this years
show will be Mr. Eric Hickox of
Franklin County.
Members of the FFA Alumni
are planning concessions for the
show on Saturday. Hot dogs, bar-
beque sandwiches and other
goodies will all be available to
chase away any hunger pains that
pop up. The concessions will be
available starting around lunch
and continuing until they run out.
All proceeds from the conces
sions will go to the Pickens
County FFA Alumni to continue
their support of FFA activities.
In addition, we never want to
miss the opportunity to bestow
thanks upon the many businesses
and individuals that consistently
support the youth of Pickens
County in FFA activities.
Drop by Saturday, January 31,
and help support these young ex
hibitors as they display the ef
forts of their hard work over the
last few months.
Small ads
produce
big results
Progress classifieds
706-253-2457